News Highlights:
- NITDA Endorses NiRA’s 2026 Roadmap
- NiRA Records Growth, Targets Wider Government Adoption
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy with the official approval of the 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Business Plan of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).
The approval followed a strategic meeting at NITDA headquarters in Abuja, where NiRA President, Mr Adesola Akinsanya, led members of the association’s board to present its vision and operational roadmap for 2026 to NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa.
The development marks a significant step in the collaboration between both organisations as they seek to accelerate the adoption of Nigeria’s country code top-level domain, .ng, and expand the nation’s digital footprint.
Following the presentation, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to working closely to ensure the effective and timely implementation of initiatives outlined in the business plan.
To facilitate this, Inuwa directed NiRA to collaborate closely with NITDA’s e-Governance and Digital Economy Department, with a focus on implementation, daily progress updates, and project monitoring.
Expressing confidence in the proposed initiatives, the NITDA Director General gave his full endorsement to the plan and urged greater alignment between the two institutions.
“You have my full approval for these initiatives. Let us change our strategy, sync up more closely, and ensure everything we have agreed upon during this presentation is fully implemented by next year,” Inuwa declared.
Earlier, Akinsanya highlighted NiRA’s performance over the past year, noting that the association recorded 98,285 new domain registrations, 71,470 renewals, and 1,970 restorations in 2025, and added that the .ng ecosystem currently boasts about 241,000 active domain names.
Beyond the numbers, NiRA also implemented important security upgrades, including the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), for a more secure and resilient internet experience for local users, as well as improvements in registrar support and engagement.
Looking into the future, Akinsanya said NiRA is intensifying action to make .ng and .gov.ng domains the gold standard across the country.
He expressed gratitude for NITDA’s ongoing support, calling for joint awareness campaigns and digital capacity-building to bring more state governments, local councils, and public institutions under the secure official domain.
Also, the NiRA president added that the association is updating its internal systems, introducing automation, and revising its constitution to meet globally acceptable standards to ensure sustainable growth.
“NiRA is looking into deeper stakeholder engagement and moving into areas where we see massive possibilities. We are specifically targeting startups and aligning with tech events across the country. With stronger collaboration, we can drive widespread adoption across every tier of government,” Akinsanya said.
The approval of NiRA’s 2026 Business Plan is expected to further strengthen efforts aimed at increasing local domain adoption, promoting digital identity, and supporting Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda.